為了讓那些沒空逛市場的顧客也能購買到新鮮的大閘蟹，江蘇省南京市一家公司在當地數個地鐵站安裝了螃蟹自動售貨機，消費者只需通過簡單的操作，就可以按照大小進行選擇，購買自己相中的螃蟹，每只螃蟹的售價為15.8元到52.8元不等。據悉，這些螃蟹自動售貨機與平時街頭常見的自動售貨機外形相似，內由不同規格的貨倉組成，鮮活的螃蟹用塑料盒子進行了標準化包裝；自動售貨機溫度控制在5攝氏度，能確保螃蟹在售貨機內存活7—10天。因推出后受到消費者的歡迎，該公司計劃將螃蟹自動售貨機推廣到更多城市，甚至打算跨出國門打入日本市場。

The automatic crab dispensers have been installed at several underground stations in Nanjing, the capital of the southeastern province of Jiangsu.

Commuters in China who are too busy to keep supermarket opening hours are being offered a nutritious alternative to the diet of crisps, chocolate and fizzy drinks usually dispensed from train station vending machines – live crabs.

The automatic crab dispensers have been installed at several underground stations in Nanjing, the capital of the southeastern province of Jiangsu, by an enterprising local company hoping to capitalize on the increasingly hectic lifestyles of urban Chinese.

The 'Dazha' hairy crabs, which are a popular regional delicacy along the Yangtze River delta cities of Nanjing, Hangzhou and Shanghai, are sold in three sizes – large, medium or small – and range in prices from ￡1.50 to ￡5.00.

The crabs are packed into custom-fitted plastic boxes and chilled to 41F (5C) which is enough to sedate them but also keep them alive. A sign next to the machine offers three free crabs for anyone who is unlucky enough to get a dead one, the local 'Guangzhou Daily' newspaper reported.

"The customers were a bit skeptical at first as they were worried if the crabs were alive or not," Wu Zhendi, general manager of the Twin Lake Crab Co. told The Telegraph, "but now they see they are alive, they keep coming back. We are selling hundreds each day, and more at weekends."

The company, which claim on its website to supply crabs to dignitaries staying at China's Diaoyutai State Guesthouse outside Beijing, said it was now planning to expand the trials, possibly even as far as Japan where vending machines are used to sell everything from eggs to ice and umbrellas.

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(Agencies)

（中國日報網英語點津 Helen 編輯）